Quinoa-based beverages and method of creating quinoa-based beverages

Abstract

A method of brewing a quinoa-based beverage is made by pre-conditioning a quinoa grain to remove unpleasant flavors from the quinoa. The quinoa grain is then soaked and malted (germinated). After germinating, the quinoa grain is kilned and optionally milled. The quinoa grain is mashed to form a wort, and boiled, optionally using hops, clarifiers, and any other flavorants. The wort is then cooled down to fermentation temperatures, and a Kosher yeast like Saccharomyces cerevisiae added to the wort to ferment. The fermented wort is then optionally conditioned or collected for distillation. The final product is immunochemically safe and gluten-free. Further, provided the product is brewed with Kosher for Passover yeast and in Kosher for Passover facilities, the end product is both Kosher and Kosher for Passover. The fermented quinoa beverage may alternatively be distilled, and aged in Kosher and gluten-free casks, to form a Kosher and gluten-free distillate liquor.

1 . A method of brewing a quinoa-based beverage, comprising:
 obtaining a malted quinoa extract;   boiling the malted quinoa extract to form boiled wort;   cooling the boiled wort down to fermentation temperatures, where the fermentation temperatures are about 20 to about 26° C.; and   adding fermenting yeast to the wort and fermenting the wort is an air locked vessel sealed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the malted quinoa extract is prepared by the steps:
 pre-conditioning a quinoa grain comprising mechanically abrading a peri-carp of the quinoa grain, washing the quinoa grain, polishing, peeling, aspiration, air classification, sieving, pneumatic pressure, vacuum, nixtamalization, rinsing, solvent leaching, or combinations thereof;   malting the grain in a climate controlled environment at a temperature range of 4 to 40° C. for a time range of 2 hours to 14 days;   kilning the quinoa grain at a temperature range of 37.8 to 85° C.;   mashing the malted quinoa to form a wort, comprising adding the kilned quinoa to fresh water heated to a predetermined temperature and steeping the kilned quinoa in the fresh water at a temperature of at or below 78.8° C.; and   lautering the wort comprising removing the spent quinoa grain from the wort.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pre-conditioning of quinoa grain further comprises:
 washing the quinoa, wherein the washing comprises covering the grain with fresh water at 10 to 15° C. and at a ratio of quinoa to water (w/v) of 0.1:1 or 0.5:1; 2:1; 3:1; 4:1; 5:1; 20:1 or 1:1;   gently agitating the wash for  1  minute; draining the water of the quinoa; and   repeating the above steps  2  to  10  times.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising conditioning the quinoa grain, wherein the condition comprises:
 rinsing the pre-conditioned quinoa grain with clean water; and   soaking the quinoa grain with clean water to increase the water content to about 12 to 60% moisture content of grain.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the quinoa grain is rinsed at a ratio of quinoa to clean water of 0.1:1, 0.5:1; 2:1; 3:1; 4:1; 5:1; 20:1 or 1:1. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the quinoa grain is soaked at a range of 7.5 to 12.5° C. for 30 seconds to 720 minutes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the quinoa grain is soaked at 10±2.5° C. for 4 hours. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the quinoa grain is malted at 10±2.5° C. for 96±24 hours. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the quinoa grain is malted with circulating air, wherein the air maintains a grain moisture content of about 35% to about 45%. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the quinoa grain is kilned at 65° C. for 4±0.5 hours. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the quinoa grain is kilned with continuous air flowing through and over the grain. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising milling the quinoa grain. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mash uses 1 quart of fresh water per pound of malted quinoa grain. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fresh water is preheated to about 76.7° C. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mash is steeped for 1 hour. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mash is at a final temperature of 65.6 to 70° C. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding hops to the wort during the initial stages of boiling, wherein the hops are Saaz, Hallertau, Strissel, Spalt, Fuggles, Goldings, East Kent Goldings, Bullion, Cascade hops, Columbus hops, Centennial hops, Willamette hops, Amarillo hops, Hersbrucker, Tettnang hops, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the hops is Cascade hops added at 1 ounce for every 7.5 gallons of wort, and Hallertau hops added at 0.5 ounce for every 7.5 gallons of wort. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding hops and clarifying agent to the wort after 30 minutes of boiling,
 wherein the hops are Saaz, Hallertau, Strissel Spalt, Fuggles, Goldings, East Kent Goldings, Bullion, Cascade hops, Columbus hops, Centennial hops, Willamette hops, Amarillo hops, Hersbrucker, Tettnang hops, or combinations thereof; and   wherein the clarifying agent is isinglass, Irish moss, kappa carrageenan, Polyclar, or gelatin.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the hops is Cascade hops added at 0.75 ounces for every 7.5 gallons of wort, and Hallertau hops added at 0.5 ounces for every 7.5 gallons of wort. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the clarifying agent is ¼ teaspoon of Carrageenan for each 5 gallons of wort. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding spices and other flavorants to the boiling wort. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fermenting yeast is  Saccharomyces cerevisiae.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fermentation is performed at 15 to 24° C. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising conditioning the fermented wort. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 collecting the fermented wort;   ensuring the fermented wort is not carbonated;   placing the fermented wort into a distillation still;   boiling the fermented wort to form an evaporate;   collecting fractions of the evaporate; and   allowing the collections of evaporate to condense into a distillate.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising aging the distillate. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the distillate is aged in an oak cask, a white oak cask, an apple wood cask, a red oak cask, an alder wood cask, a hickory cask, a maple wood cask, a French oak cask, a spruce cask, a pine cask, a charred oak cask, a charred white oak cask, a charred apple wood cask, a charred red oak cask, a charred alder wood cask, a charred hickory cask, a charred maple wood cask, a charred French oak cask, a charred spruce cask, a charred pine cask, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the cask is a cask used to age sherry or bourbon prior to aging the distillate. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the distillation still is a single pot still, a multiple-pot still, a column still, a continuous still, or a Coffey still.